PlayStation 4
Released in 2019 by MLB Advanced Media
Grade: C
This game is an easygoing round of charming old-school baseball … but with all the charm sucked out of it.
Where it falls in the series
R.B.I. Baseball debuted on Nintendo in 1988, continued through the 16-bit days (See R.B.I. Baseball 4 on Genesis), and was brought back on PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch from 2014 to 2021. (See R.B.I. Baseball 2016 on PS4)
Praises and gripes
You don’t have to look hard to find faults in this game. Even the menu screens are all jumpy and delayed, and that’s a sign of things to come.
The controls are pulled straight from the 80s. Push a button to pitch, and then move the ball in mid air. Push a button to swing, and push more buttons to make your guys run the bases. This retro-style approach sure takes the pitching-hitting duels back to simpler times. I’ve rambled endlessly about my criticism of this pitching system, but this game does a decent job with it. At-bats feel reasonably fair and move along smoothly.
Compared to previous installments, the batting camera view is adjusted higher up and closer to the plate, which isn’t bad, but it does highlight just how generic the players are. If you’ve become accustomed to the luxury of each player having his unique look and motions, this game will feel cheap by comparison.
Things get uglier out in the field. The action isn’t just sloppy, but sloppy in the most digitized, displeasing way. Fielders don’t move like real players. They look off balance when they throw. The controls have occasional hiccups that cause dumb errors. The umpires blow calls on the bases by a mile. The ball can literally teleport between fielders, and fielders constantly glide Matrix-style like they got pushed by gusts of digital wind. One time my second baseman let the ball zip through his legs, only to turn around and chase it down and throw the guy out at first. That’s ridiculous even for arcade baseball.
The presentation is off-putting all around. There’s a high-pitched announcer with his “Strike!” and “That’s a ball.” Between innings, there are annoying loading screens. Not just one, but two of them! There’s terribly shrill pop music and canned cinematic cutscenes that look silly.
Back when I reviewed RBI 16, I was surprised to enjoy it so much. Its simple gameplay meshed well with its cheap, lifeless vibe. But three years later, the franchise went overboard in the wrong direction. Instead of smoothing out the jagged edges, they’ve souped up the game in a way that makes the jagged edges even worse.
Published September 9, 2024